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CHAPTER 1
The oil content of canola varies between 36% and 50% of oil and 20% to 25% of
oilcake, with a protein content of almost 37%. Unprocessed canola and canola
oilcake are high-quality products and very good feed for animals.
As a large part of the South African demand for vegetable oils has to be imported, the
international price of oilseeds plays a major role in the pricing of the local oilseeds and
therefore also of oilcake. The domestic price for canola is in turn based on the domes-
tic price of sunflower and soybean products.
Internationally the production of canola has increased since the middle 1970s from
the sixth largest oilseed crop to the second largest in 2013. The increase in South
Africa is seen in the diagram above.
The process for the cultivation of canola seed is very technical. Male and female
plants are planted separately and pollination takes place exclusively through honey
bees. Co-operation between canola producers and honey farmers is therefore of
the utmost importance.
In countries like Canada and Australia the propagation of canola seeds is a major
industry, but in South Africa no canola seed had yet been produced by 2015.
CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE
Introduction
The concept and practice of conservation agriculture is based on the understanding
of the absolute necessity for land for the production of food for a world population
that is increasing at an immense rate, apart from many other very important func-
tions that it fulfils.
The point of departure of the conservation agriculture concept is that conservation
and the improvement of the quality and health of the soil is vital for sustainable
agriculture, the environment and therefore also for plants, people and animals. Soil
health in this context is seen as the ability of the soil, as a living ecosystem, to per-
form according to its potential. However, this ability is something that is declining
over time as the result of incorrect usage and the influence of the natural elements
on the soil.
Soil is not an inexhaustible source. According to estimates, around 12 million
hectares of arable land, on which 20 million tons of grain could have been pro-
duced, annually goes to waste worldwide on account of soil degradation, and
approximately 30% of the earth’s food-producing soil has become unproductive
since around 1960 as a result of erosion.
If these trends are not turned around quickly and soil conservation and improve-
ment do not become a reality, it can become impossible to produce enough food
160 000
140 000
120 000
100 000
80 000
60 000
40 000
20 000
0
Total area and yield
Ton/ha
1998/1999
1999/2000
2000/2001
2001/2002
2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2013/2014
Graph 33: Canola production
Tons
Hectares
Ton/ha
2
1,5
1
0,5
0
1,24
0,92
1,11
1,15
1,10 1,14
1,20
0,95
0,92
0,70
0,91
1,15
1,35
1,81
1,55 1,55
1,06